Hi-Def DVD Empire

An Offer You Can't Refuse!

2008-07-01T05:19:00.001-07:00

In one of the biggest format announcements so far in 2008, Paramount has just announced they’ll be releasing all three Godfather films on Blu-ray on September 23rd.

The Godfather set is part of a new frame-by-frame restoration of all three films, and will also be available on DVD in both a boxed set and as single titles. However, it’s only available on Blu-ray in the boxed set.

In addition to the restoration of the films, the set will include all of the bonus features available on the previous DVD boxed set release, plus a bunch of brand new featurettes created exclusively for this new edition.

Both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration are available for prebooks now at DVD Empire.

PS3 2.30 Update Now Available

2008-04-15T05:08:00.000-07:00

Tax Day in the United States brings good news if you’re a PS3 owner. Yet another update is now available for the system – this one giving the PS3’s built-in Blu-ray player DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS-HD High Resolution Audio support.

The 2.30 firmware update also gives users a new version of the online Playstation Store (see photo). The store will also be updating the amount of content it features in the coming days and weeks.

Latest Update To PS3 Coming Soon

2008-03-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sony confirmed this week that the lastest firmware update for the Playstation 3 - due in April, but possibly available as early as late March - will bring the installed Blu-ray player up to 2.0 profile specs.

Blu-ray 2.0, also known as BD-LIVE, will give users the capability to download further content, get ringtones, play online games, and more - depending on what a particular Blu-ray release has to offer. The new PS3 update will also allow users to run photo and music playlists on their PS3.

The first Blu-ray films with BD-LIVE features are due to release in April. Sony's last PS3 update, if you recall, added picture in picture capability to the PS3.

The Future Is Blu

2008-02-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

Paramount has stated that they'll be going back to Blu-ray soon, although they're expected to honor the HD DVD releases they've already announced. Likewise, Universal (who we thought would be last, but weren't) announced their intention to go Blu-ray earlier in the week.

Warner Bros., which was already planning to go Blu-ray exclusive in June, announced that they are sticking with their current plans and will still release HD DVD titles up until that date. The most likely reason for this is beacuse those HD DVD titles are probably already pressed and sitting in the studio warehouses, so they might as well release them.

With all the major Hollywood studios in the Blu-ray camp by this summer, everyone will finally be able to put this format war behind us and concentrate on making Blu-ray the best it can be for the home consumer.

RIP HD DVD

2008-02-18T04:36:00.000-08:00

Although the writing has been on the wall for a number of weeks now, the demise of the HD DVD format is coming much faster than anyone expected.

Last week, major retailers such as Netflix, Best Buy and Wal-Mart announced their plans to no longer carry (or at the very least, no longer promote) the HD DVD format. Now comes word from Japan that Toshiba is totally abandoning HD DVD, with an official announcement expected possibly as early as this week.

We suspect that the official announcement from Toshiba will be followed shortly by announcements from studios Paramount and Universal that they will no longer be releasing movies on HD DVD. While the major studios have future HD DVD releases scheduled until at least the end of May, we suspect that some of them might be cancelled, although some of the bigger titles may be honored. We’re also guessing that no future HD DVD release announcements will be made. In short, expect all the major studios to be Blu-ray committed (yes, even the reluctant Universal) by the beginning of summer.

Fortunately, those who invested in HD DVD still have 100s of movies available to watch in HD (although if you don’t have a certain title, you may want to pick it up now while stock can still be found) and the majority of players are excellent upconverters for standard DVD releases.

Hey, at the very least, you may be able to sell yours for a downpayment on a shiny new Blu-ray player.

UPDATE: Tuesday morning, Toshiba officially announced it was getting out of the HD DVD business. Their press release can be read HERE.

Listen To The Bell, HD DVD

2008-01-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

It isn’t over yet, but the bell you hear tolling is for the now-struggling HD DVD format. Ever since the announcement a few weeks back that Warner Bros. would be going Blu-ray-only this summer, HD DVD sales have taken a hard hit.

Just a week after Warners’ announcement, Blu-ray beat HD DVD in hardware sales by seizing a whopping 93% of the market. Software sales have decreased for HD DVD as well, including right here on DVD Empire – where Blu-ray has gone from having a 3 to 1 advantage to over a 4 to 1 advantage in sales, and growing. Reports from other retailers have the sales gap even wider. While HD DVD rebounded somewhat in overall sales this past week, the overall trend is clear: more and more people are investing in Blu-ray.

To add to HD DVD’s struggles, retailer Woolworths (not a bastion of hi-def sales to be sure, but a major company) announced that they would no longer stock HD DVD; while some Circuit City stores nationwide have launched clearance sales on their HD DVD player stock, selling them for as low as $100.

Can HD DVD possibly survive? Toshiba will make their last-ditch effort to save the format this coming Sunday: a $2.7 million 30-second spot during the Super Bowl.

Talk about a “Hail Mary”.

The War Is Over! Warner Bros. Turns Blu!

2008-01-04T13:37:00.001-08:00

The rumors had been circulating, but the shock was still great.

In a move that can only mean the ultimate end of the HD DVD format, powerhouse studio Warner Bros. announced today that they would be going exclusively Blu-ray. The change will go into effect in May of 2008.

The official statement from Warners’ Chairman and CEO Barry Meyer is as follows:

"Warner Bros.' move to exclusively release in the Blu-ray disc format is a strategic decision focused on the long term and the most direct way to give consumers what they want. The window of opportunity for high-definition DVD could be missed if format confusion continues to linger. We believe that exclusively distributing in Blu-ray will further the potential for mass market success and ultimately benefit retailers, producers, and most importantly, consumers."

With Warners out of the HD DVD business, Paramount and Universal are the only two major studios supporting HD DVD exclusively.

Blu-ray Picture In Picture Titles Hit Market

2008-01-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

It took a while, but some Blu-ray releases are finally offering the picture-in-picture commenatries that HD DVD has been offering on releases for quite some time. The recent 2.10 firmware update for the PS3 brings those players up to Profile 1.1, meaning the PS3 can now use the picture-in-picture feature, if owers update their units.

Hi-Def DVD Empire got a chance to review two of the upcoming releases that offer picture-in-picture, and we're happy to report that the feature does work as well as HD DVD, although the results are a mixed bag.

The picture-in-picture on the release of Sony's Resident Evil: Extinction uses such a small window for the commentary that the text identifying the speakers has actually been placed outside the commentary box.

On the other hand, Fox's Sunshine gets picture-in-picture right, offering a bigger box for the picture-in-picture commentary, with the picture within (at least by our estimation) being a much sharper one than the one we saw on Resident Evil: Extinction.

With the specs now in place to compete with HD DVD on every level, Blu-ray owners can expect lots more releases with picture-in-picture features to be released in 2008.

Michael Bay Rants About "Microsoft Conspiracy"

2007-12-06T11:09:00.000-08:00

Transformers director Michael Bay claims that Microsoft is backing HD DVD because it wants both hi-def formats to fail.

His statements, posted on his official website, went on to say:

"That is the dirty secret no one is talking about. That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu-ray. They want confusion in the market until they perfect the digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth."

This isn't the first time we've heard the Microsoft conspiracy theory, but it's the first time we've heard it from someone as "high up" in Hollywood as Bay.

In other Bay news, the director also has come out to claim that Transformers doesn't look as good on HD DVD as it would have on Blu-ray (currently Paramount is HD DVD exclusive). Bay stated the following:

"I see every frame of my films over a hundred times before it is ever released. I know the lighting conditions I shot it and the result on the DI. I know the range. I know what the final product should look like - Blu-ray suits my films better."

Is Bay right, or is he - like most of his movies - disoriented and confused?

90,000 HD DVD Players Sold Last Weekend

2007-11-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend’s attempt by HD DVD to advance their position in the high definition war seems to have been a success.

According to figures reported by Video Business, over 90,000 Toshiba A2 players were sold at Wal Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City and a few other retailers over the past weekend. What’s interesting about the 90,000 figure is that it doesn’t include online sales on sites like Amazon, which were conducting their own $99 sales.

How significant is the 90,000 plus number? Well, by comparison, that figure pretty much matches the total sales to date of Sony’s BDP-S300 unit, which has shipped (but not necessarily sold) 100,000 units since its release this past summer.

Overall, Blu-ray players still outnumber HD DVD players in homes if you include Playstation 3 sales in that figure.

However, the sale of 90,000 HD DVD players in one weekend (with certainly more deals to come before Christmas) translates into many more movie sales for the format. Will it be enough to tip the scales or, at least, even them out (Blu-ray still holds a 2 to 1 advantage in movie sales)? Time will tell.

HD DVD Players For Only $99!

2007-11-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

Think HD DVD isn't serious about winning this format war? Think again.

Today, two major retailers, Wal Mart and Best Buy will start offering the Toshiba A2 HD DVD player for only $99. Other major stores will most likely be offering similar deals as "Black Friday" (the day after Thanksgiving, which launches the holiday shopping season here in the United States) draws closer.

Potential customers should note that supplies may be extremely limited (depending on your area of the country), and the $99 deal is also for a limited time.

This is a true bargain for those wishing to jump into HD DVD, since Toshiba is still offering 5 free titles for anyone who buys a new player.

An HD DVD player and 5 free movies for $99?! Beat that, Blu-ray.

Transformers Best Selling HD DVD To Date

2007-10-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Paramount/DreamWorks' release of Transformers has become the best selling HD DVD yet, moving over 100,000 units in its first day alone, and moving an additional 90,000 units since then.

That's no surprise to us here at the Empire, since the HD DVD is currently our top seller and our number three best seller on HD DVD of all time already.

Of course, HD DVD still has a long way to go when compared to standard DVD. By comparison, the DVD release of Transformers moved over 4.5 million copies in its first day, and 8.3 million total to date.

Jack Ryan Recalled From Duty

2007-10-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

The release of The Jack Ryan Collection on HD DVD has been recalled by Paramount, since the box covers for the discs detail bonus material that don't appear on the bare-bones HD DVDs.

No word yet on whether Paramount will be simply correcting the box covers or actually re-pressing the HD DVDs so they include all the promised bonus material, but we're hoping for the latter.

A new release date has not yet been announced, but keep your eye on our product page (or simply click the "Notify Me" button), and we'll update info on this release and any features it may or may not contain as soon as we get word.

UPDATE: We just got word from Paramount that new box cover art is upcoming...which basically means they're not going to update the discs, just update the slip case and inside covers. Sadly, this looks like it means a bare-bones release for consumers.

Format War: No End In Sight?

2007-09-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

It was all supposed to be over by now.

Christmas 2007 was supposed to mark the final “mop up” job by Blu-ray, as they swept the remnants of the HD DVD format out the door.

But like another war we’re all too familiar with, this one didn’t go quite as expected. Events like the continuing lower cost of HD DVD players and Paramount’s recent decision to side with the underdog format have turned what many thought to be a one-sided battle into a fair fight.

Now, a Forrester Research report indicates that the average consumer is still holding out on investing in either of the new formats, indicating high price and satisfaction with standard DVD as the two main reasons for not yet making the hi-def jump.

Forrester, which does this report every year, also predicts a winner...and for the third year in a row, they’re still backing Blu-ray as the ultimate victor. But for the first time they admit that HD DVD just might win if the backers of Blu-ray can’t get more affordable players on the market within the next 18 months. Their research indicates that $200 is the breaking point for most consumers (meaning players need to be that price or less for them to bite).

We know that passions run high here between supporters of HD DVD and those of Blu-ray, so let’s take a non-scientific poll...who do YOU think will win the format war, how soon will they win it, and why? We look forward to readers’ responses!

Will Warner Bros. Go HD DVD Exclusive?

2007-09-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

The big news a few weeks ago was when Paramount announced that they would be going HD DVD exclusive.

Now comes rumors that Warner Bros. may be making a similar deal...or one close to it. Reports are circulating this morning that the studio is mulling a deal which would make some big releases, such as Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix, exclusive to the HD DVD format. Toshiba is behind the offer, apparently offering Warners millions if they'll make the move.

But word is that Sony is doing its best to keep Warners format neutral, or possibly even making their own move to make the studio a Blu-ray exclusive one.

One things for sure: should Warners pick a side, it would probably be a fatal blow to the other format.

We'll keep you posted as events warrant....

SHOCKER: Paramount Goes HD DVD Exclusive!!!

2007-08-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

If you had told us Martians landed on the White House lawn, we wouldn't be any more surprised than we were when this news came our way this morning: Paramount Pictures has announced they will now be an HD DVD-only studio.

Even the most optimistic HD DVD supporters would admit before today that Blu-ray was leading in the so-called “format war,” but now all bets are off. Paramount brings with them DreamWorks home video releases, as well as a strong library that includes the Star Trek franchise. It also means that Universal is no longer the sole exclusive supporter of HD DVD among the major studios, evening out what was once a rather one-sided playing field.

Paramount’s exclusivity will begin with the release of Blades Of Glory. We’re still waiting for word on whether announced titles from Paramount on Blu-ray are now cancelled, as well as if currently available Blu-rays will be discontinued once stock runs out.

Toshiba Announces 3rd Generation Players

2007-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

As the hi-def wars rage into their second year, Toshiba has announced the release of third generation models for all their HD DVD players.

The cheapest of the three, the entry-level HD-A3 ($299), will have 1080i output, while the other two players - the HD-A30 ($399) and the HD-A35 ($499) - will be capable of 1080p output.

Additionally, the HD-A30 and A35 allow users to play movies back at the 24 frame per second rate - the rate native to actual film. Both also feature "CE-Link" which allows users to turn on their player and television set at the same time.

The more expensive HD-A35 also includes "Deep Color" support for HDMI; 5.1 channel analog; and high bit rate 7.1 audio.

All models are due in stores sometime in October.

Blu-ray: The Choice Among Thieves

2007-07-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

Looks like in the world of crime, even the thieves prefer Blu-ray to HD DVD.

Over $7000 worth of Blu-ray movies were stolen at a Seattle Silver Platters store this past Sunday, totaling almost the entire Blu-ray stock that the store had on hand. No HD DVD titles were taken during the robbery.

As of this writing, the Seattle Police had no leads on the culprit(s), but we suspect someone over at Toshiba or Universal.

Just kidding....

Europe Loves HD DVD More?

2007-07-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

In a report by the (surprise!) HD DVD Promotion Group released this week, it has been stated that HD DVD players account for 74% of all next generation format player sales in Europe.

Woo hoo! HD DVD is winning, you might say (assuming you’re an HD DVD fan). But what the report doesn’t tell you is that PS3 sales in Europe were not factored into those percentages. How big of a difference might that make? Well, to date, Sony has sold over a million units in Europe. How does that compare to what HD DVD is selling? No one knows, since the Promotion Group suspiciously left those numbers out of their report. Nor does the Group state any figures on the sale of actual HD DVD titles versus those of Blu-ray.

The bottom line is we just don’t know how popular HD DVD is in Europe, although we take that 74% figure with a BIG grain of salt here at Hi-Def Empire.

No Total HD Until 2008

2007-06-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Warner Bros. has announced they will not be introducing their Total HD discs until at least 2008. Total HD is a new format that will be able to carry both an HD DVD and a Blu-ray version of a movie on one disc. The downside to this, unfortunately, is that the discs will cost a little bit more than individual format discs. Warner believes it is a good concept, since buyers will guarantee themselves a copy of the movie on whichever format finally wins the format war.

Does the decision to delay the release of the discs indicate problems creating them or perhaps that Warners believes that a winner in the format war may come sooner rather than later? The only hint given was in this statement by Warner Senior Vice President Steve Nickerson: "We’ll do it when it makes sense and when it's right."

Blockbuster Goes Blu

2007-06-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

The largest movie rental chain in American made a stunning announcement when they stated they would only be renting Blu-ray high definition titles in their brick and mortar stores and would no longer be supporting the HD DVD format.

However, those using the Blockbuster online service to rent movies will still have the option between Blu-ray and HD DVD. According to Blockbuster, customers have been choosing Blu-ray over HD DVD 70 percent of the time. Senior Vice President of Blockbuster, Matthew Smith told the Associated Press that “The consumers are sending us a message. I can't ignore what I'm seeing.”

Blockbuster’s numbers reflect national sales, in which Blu-ray is outselling HD DVD by about a 3 to 1 margin.

Toshiba Lowers Sales Expectations

2007-06-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

Toshiba had once claimed they'd sell 1.8 million units of their HD DVD players in 2007. Not anymore. Toshiba cut their 2007 projections by a whopping 44 percent, and now claims that they'll only sell about 1 million units before the year is out.

This announcement comes on the heels of some major price slashing by Toshiba on its HD DVD players, but even the great prices can't seem to close the Blu-ray gap. Even though an impressive 60% of stand-alone players sold in the last month have been HD DVD players, Toshiba was only able to move about 150 thousand units overall.

Meanwhile, Sony claims they plan to ship 600,000 Playstation 3 units to the United States in 2007. Sony has sold roughly 1.5 million PS3s in the United States alone and over 3 million worldwide. Not great for a new gaming unit, but good for Sony, since every sale is another home with a Blu-ray drive in it.

Despite having more expensive stand-alone players, Blu-ray software releases continue to outsell HD DVD by about a 3 to 1 margin.

Sparrow Stomps Neo In Hi-Def Showdown

2007-06-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

A lot of eyes were on HD DVD and Blu-ray sales during the past few weeks as two popular franchises were released on each of the formats. For HD DVD, it was the release of the Matrix Trilogy (along with a bigger, more bonus-filled Ultimate Matrix Collection); while Blu-ray had individual releases of the first two Pirates Of The Caribbean films.

According to a report by Home Media Magazine, the two Pirates titles were the big winners, and by a huge margin. Combined, the Blu-ray versions of Curse Of The Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest sold 47,000 units in its first week of release, compared to only about 14,000 units of the two Matrix sets (combined).

While one can argue that the individual Pirates releases were much cheaper than the Matrix boxed sets (although there's only about a $30 difference between the combined Pirates titles and the less expensive of the two Matrix releases), the vast difference in sales numbers shows that Blu-ray was the clear winner in this battle.

Sony Sued Over Blu-Ray Technology

2007-05-25T04:32:00.001-07:00

California company Target Technology is suing Sony over the coating it currently puts on Blu-ray discs, claiming that it infringes on a copyright that they own.

Target Technology currently holds a patent on "metal alloys for the reflective or semi-reflective layer of an optical storage medium" and believes Sony is in violation of this patent with the protective coating they put on Blu-ray releases.

Target has held its patent on the process since March of 2006. They are seeking both damages and a permanent injuction against Sony.

Toshiba Slashes Prices For Father's Day

2007-05-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

Want to make Dad really happy this Father's Day? Toshiba thinks you do, so they're offering in-store $100 rebates on all their HD DVD players between June 10th and June 16th.

That means consumers will be able to pick up Toshiba's HD-A2 entry- level player for just $300. Toshiba is also continuing their promotion that gives away 5 free HD DVD movies with each player purchased.

An HD DVD player and 5 titles for $300? Sounds like a good deal to us!